Great Sea Interconnector

, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, Greek and Cypriot Energy Ministers Kostas Skrekas and Natasa Pilides and CEO EuroAsia Interconnector Nasos Ktorides Energy in Cyprus Cyprus as an island is totally isolated from EU energy links and electricity networks and remains the most energy dependent country in the European Union. Cyprus is completely isolated from EU energy interconnections. Oil and petroleum products represent around 92% of the gross energy consumption. Cyprus has no oil refineries. As a result of high import cost of petroleum products the price of electricity is one of the highest in the European Union. Renewable energy share has reached 8% and according to national targets should reach 13% by 2020. Recently Cyprus announced discovery of the Aphrodite gas field with significant amounts of natural gas resources in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and additional gas prospects are being explored. Due to regional turmoil in the Eastern Mediterranean region and the fact that 1/3 of Cyprus is unlawfully occupied, for energy security it needs a reliable and robust energy infrastructure. The EuroAsia Interconnector will connect Cyprus to the European electricity grid as the last EU member fully isolated from energy interconnections. In 2010, the Leviathan gas field was discovered off the coast of Israel. This gas field represents a strategic change enabling Israel not only to be energy independent, but also to become an energy exporter, as the amount of gas discovered exceeds Israeli demands for at least 50 years. Unlike oil, gas is more difficult to ship and is not sold on spot markets, being priced uniquely for each deal. One reliable way for Israel to export natural gas could be in form of electricity using the Interconnector. and has led to Siemens, which has been announced as the preferred bidder for part of the system, becoming a target of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Energy in Greece Greece's location at the crossroads of East and West and geographical connection to rest of Europe enables interconnection and energy flow from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe. Greece is a highly energy-dependent country. Renewable energy share has reached 22%. Crete is an energy isolated island and it is the largest isolated power system in Greece. Like all isolated island systems the cost of electricity production is very high due to transportation costs of imported fuel and high operational costs of mainly outdated power generating units. Connected systems can have much lower costs of electricity by using electricity from distant power stations where electricity production costs are much lower. Crete is electrically isolated from mainland Greece and the Hellenic Republic subsidises the difference in the Crete electricity costs of around €300 million per year. == Eastern Mediterranean Hydrocarbon Findings ==

The Levantine Sea is bounded by Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt. Cyprus is the largest island in the Levantine Sea and it is located in the middle of it. Many countries in the region are in disputes with neighbors. The seafloor of the Eastern Mediterranean Basin is dotted with mud volcanoes which spew gas and occasionally oil into the benthic zone. Geologically it consists of sediment columns up to 12 km thick capped by evaporites. These geological and oceanographic facts led to speculation that Levantine sea contains large gas and oil deposits trapped in evaporites. Recently, energy company Eni discovered the Zohr gas field, the largest known gas field in the Mediterranean. The Zohr gas field holds around of gas. Additionally, they estimated that there could be up to 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Exploration is continuing in other blocks in the Cyprus EEZ. The Calypso gas field in block 6 was found in 2018, and it is estimated that it holds of gas. The first significant Israeli gas discovery was in the Mari-B field in 2000. The Mari-B field produced gas until 2013, covering 40% of Israeli natural gas demand. Offshore Tamar gas field of was discovered in 2009, with commercial production starting in 2013. == Infrastructure ==

, Cyprus, where the three studies were awarded to the Italian companies CESI and GAS The EuroAsia Interconnector will link Israel with Cypriot and Greek power grids with high-voltage direct current submarine power cable of length around . It will have a capacity to transmit 2,000 megawatts of electricity in either direction. In the first stage it will have 1000 MW capacity. Interconnection between Hadera in Israel and Kofinou on Cyprus will be finished in December 2025. The longer interconnection between Kofinou on Cyprus and Korakias on Crete will be delivered in December 2025. Configuration for Stage 1 The Interconnector will provide an important electricity highway in Southeastern EU and ends the electricity energy isolation of Cyprus and Crete, interconnecting EU and Israel. The Interconnector's main components are: • 3 converter stations in bipolar arrangements with multiterminal operation (in Greece (Crete), Cyprus and Israel) • Subsea and land high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables that will interconnect converter stations in Greece, Cyprus and Israel. Cables will run in pairs and each cable will be with power rating of 500 MW and voltage of 500kV. • Sea electrodes of 1000A and medium voltage direct current cables connecting them to converter stations • Alternating current (AC) switchgear connecting converter stations to the local electricity grid at four different locations with examples of HVDC cables Pairs of cables will connect all converter stations. A converter station converts direct current (DC) to and from alternating current (AC). It can both send and receive power via the cable and to or from the grid. Converter stations are bipolar and could run bi-directionally enabling import or export of electricity depending on demand. Cables will run along bottom of the sea and on land will run underground. Sea electrodes are used in case of cable or converter station faults. Sea electrodes are placed at seabed several kilometers from shore and they are connected to converter stations. Converter stations will be of Voltage Source Converter (VSC) type. Each converter station will be rated to 1000 MW and made of two converter bridges of 500 MW. Submarine power cables will be of the extruded type. Configuration for Stage 2 In stage 2 an additional 1000 MW converter station will be built in Crete and Israel and an additional 1000 MW bipole cable on the Israel-Cyprus—Greece route will be brought into service. Stage 2 will increase transfer capacity to 2000 MW. == Project of EU Common Interest ==

, Chairman of the Strategic Council of the EuroAsia Interconnector(2018-2021) The European Commission adopted on 14 October 2013 under Regulation (EU) No. 1391/2013 first list of key EU Projects of Common Interest. The EuroAsia Interconnector is included also on the revised list. The European Commission issued the 4th PCI list on 31 October 2019, and the EuroAsia Interconnector remains as PCI 3.10. On 29 October 2014 the EU announced funding for 3 prestudies of the Interconnector project. These studies secured half their cost (€1,325,000) from the Connecting Europe Facility. On 17 February 2017, European Commission approved €14.5 million as financial support for final detailed studies prior to Project Implementation. The EU covers half the cost of final detailed pre-works studies. It is therefore included in the ten-year network development plan 2014 (TYNDP) and also TYNDP 2016. Therefore, reduction of emissions will be between 21% and 110% of total Cyprus emissions. Based on new assessments best estimate of reduction of emission is expected to be 1.16 million tonnes for Stage 1. Development of renewable energy sources on isolated systems like Cyprus and Crete could compromise the islands' electrical systems due to chaotic production fluctuations. Integration of renewable energy sources without interconnection is therefore limited. Electricity interconnection will enable and unlock integration of a high percentage of renewable sources in such isolated systems. == History and development ==

, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras meeting in Nicosia on 28 January 2016 affirmed their full support for the EuroAsia Interconnector The EuroAsia Interconnector project was announced by Nasos Ktorides in Nicosia on 23 January 2012, stressing the role of Cyprus as energy bridge between Europe and Asia. A cooperation agreement for conducting the feasibility study was signed in Jerusalem on 4 March 2012 between the project operator EuroAsia Interconnector Ltd.(previously DEI Quantum Energy), and the Israel Electric Corporation in the presence of Israeli minister for Energy and Water Resources Uzi Landau and Yiftah Ron-Tal, Director of the Israel Electric Corporation. On 23 March 2012, in Nicosia, the Electricity Authority of Cyprus signed a cooperation agreement with the project operator. On 8 August 2013, the ministers of energy of Cyprus, Israel and Greece met in Cyprus. They signed the tripartite energy memorandum and reconfirmed their support for the Interconnector. They discussed huge potential of eastern Mediterranean for energy supply of Europe and pointed out EuroAsia Interconnector as a bridge and highway for energy supply. It took about 100 days to complete the survey. All three pre-works studies were finished in 2016 and led to the next phase of the final pre-construction studies. presents EuroAsia Interconnector During that meeting, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed their full support for the EuroAsia Interconnector. On 17 February 2017 The European Commission approved €14.5 million as financial support for final detailed studies prior to Project Implementation. On 12 May 2017, the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met State Grid Corporation of China Chairman Shu Yinbiao in Beijing accompanied by EuroAsia Interconnector CEO Nasos Ktorides and had discussions on jointly promoting of the Belt and Road Initiative and the strengthening of power and energy cooperation. Prime Minister Tsipras expressed his appreciation for the support Mr. Shu Yinbiao has given to the development of the Greek grid and the contribution made by State Grid Corporation of China towards the timely implementation of EuroAsia Interconnector. --> At a trilateral meeting of Prime Ministers of Greece (Alexis Tsipras), Israel (Benjamin Netanyahu) and the President of Cyprus (Nicos Anastasiades) in the Greek city of Thessaloniki on 15 June 2017, the leaders pointed out that EuroAsia Interconnector is strategically important for Greece and upgrades Greece's status into a regional electricity and telecom hub. The EuroAsia Interconnector cross-border cost allocation was approved by the Energy Regulatory Authorities of Cyprus and Greece on 10 October 2017 and 21 March 2018. It is a historic decision for Cyprus, which will lead to the end of electricity isolation for the last electrically isolated EU member state. Elia, Belgium's electricity transmission system operator, announced on 12 December 2017 that it had concluded a strategic alliance agreement with EuroAsia Interconnector for the development and implementation of the 2,000 MW subsea electricity interconnector. , Ambassador of Israel; George Killas, Project Director; , Minister of Energy; Ilias Fotopoulos, Ambassador of Greece; Thessalia Shambos, Cyprus Ambassador in Israel; Demosthenis Voivodas'', Directorate of Licensing, General Secretariat of Strategic Investments of Greece Former Cyprus Foreign Minister (1997—2003, 2013— March 2018) and head of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Working group, Ioannis Kasoulides, joined EuroAsia Interconnector on 30 March 2018 as Chairman of the Strategic Council. On 11 September 2018, Dr. Kasoulides received the highest decoration awarded by France – Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honour. In a speech at the public consultation held at the Hilton Cyprus on 2 April 2018, Cyprus Energy Minister described the project as "of particular national geopolitical importance, as it enables Cyprus and Greece to act as bridges of cooperation, linking the eastern Mediterranean with the European Union." On 8 May 2018, the fourth Cyprus-Israel-Greece tripartite meeting took place in Nicosia. Prime Ministers of Greece Alexis Tsipras, Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades reconfirmed their support to the timely implementation of the EuroAsia Interconnector. --> Prior to the dissagrement IPTO insisted on the creation of a special moving vehicle where IPTO would have a majority stake. Following this disagreement IPTO created a subsidiary with name Ariadne Interconnector responsible for the development of the Greek link to Crete. The procurement stage of the project started on 13 February 2018 by notice for construction of Stage 1 with an estimated budget of €3.5 billion, published in the Official Journal of the European Union. A call for four tenders with estimated budget €3.27 billion was published on 17 April 2018 in the Official Journal of the European Union. After a series of individual meetings with all successful converter station and cable manufacturers, EuroAsia Interconnector Ltd, as project promoter, issued tender documents for contracts worth €3.5bn for the design and construction of the EuroAsia Interconnector. A meeting between the European Commission and Cyprus authorities took place on 27 February 2019, in Nicosia. In a joint communique they again expressed full support for the timely implementation of the EuroAsia Interconnector as a Project of Common Interest and they recognised EuroAsia Interconnector as the official project promoter.